Sunday, December 04, 2005

The British Dhimmi Awards 2005

2005 has been a busy time for Britain’s dhimmis, those politically correct poltroons whose craven deference to Islamic fundamentalism hastens the erosion of our island’s traditions and rights. In recognition of the pitiful actions, weasel words and crass stupidity by the great and the good over the past year, I’m inviting nominations for the inaugural British Dhimmi Awards (aka The Dhimmis). Here are some particularly egregious examples to get things going, but further suggestions are welcome.

David Farr for his Islam-friendly adaptation of Christopher Marlowe’s Tamburlaine the Great, and Simon Reade, artistic director of the Bristol Old Vic, who justified the changes by saying the original “would have unnecessarily raised the hackles of a significant proportion of one of the world’s great religions”.

The BBC for dropping its Radio 4 dramatisation of John Buchan’s Greenmantle following the London bombings because of “unsuitable and insensitive” material, i.e. stuff about nefarious Islamic plotters in London.

Dudley Council, which banned pig imagery and toys from its benefits department following a complaint by a Muslim worker. (How about ‘allahgedly’ as a new adverb to add to spurious claims by easily outraged Muslims? Eg “The toy piglet upset a Muslim co-worker, allahgedly.”) The council later backed down but their initial idiocy still deserves mention.

“Where there are two households of equal priority who qualify… we would offer to the household who would most benefit from the culturally-sensitive services.” That’s Bristol City Council promoting discrimination against non-Muslims when allocating accommodation with toilets facing away from Mecca.

Steve Green, Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire, who sent out twenty thousand 'Good faith' green ribbons for his force to wear in a show of solidarity with the Muslim community following the London bombings.

Gillian Parker, Chief Constable of Bedfordshire Police, for issuing ridiculous guidelines on how police should act during raids on Muslim homes. These include removing shoes, not interrupting prayers, avoiding the use of cameras and sniffer dogs, no touching of religious books or artefacts, and no looking at unclad women. (And making fun of it is out of order too.)

Avon and Somerset Police for prosecuting a publican whose “Porking yard” sign in his car park offended local Muslims, allahgedly.

Anne Owers, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, for banning prison officers from wearing the Cross of St George, and Chris Doyle, director of the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding, for defending the decision and calling on England to find a new flag and a patron saint who is "not associated with our bloody past”.

The Bishop of Oxford Richard Harries, The Bishop of Coventry Colin Bennetts, The Bishop of Worcester Peter Selby, and The Bishop of Bath and Wells Peter Price, who called on Christians to apologise to Muslims for the Iraq war in a report for the Church of England. A timely propaganda boost for the Islamic fundamentalists, but not so welcome news for persecuted Christians. Just for good measure the report (PDF) was also critical of the “deeply flawed” Western liberal democratic system (with particular emphasis on America, naturally), and wanted to see political deals with the terrorists.

Helen Boaden, head of news at the BBC, for her memo telling staff not to refer to the 7/7 mass murderers as “terrorists” in case World Service listeners were offended. The instruction was followed with some enthusiasm.

Leicester University, for cancelling a talk by Muslim lesbian feminist Irshad Manji because it “feared hostile reactions from some local Muslims”.

George Galloway. Where to start with a man who defends murderous religious fanatics as martyrs? I think his recent speech in Syria sums him up nicely, showing as it does a level of dhimmitude beyond the call of duty : "[My emphasis] What your lives would be if from the Atlantic to the Gulf we had one Arab union - all this land, 300 million people, all this oil and gas and water, occupied by a people who speak the same language, follow the same religions, listen to the same Um Kulthum... The Arabs would be a superpower in the world if they had this unity … we are making a European Union which in 20 years will balance the power of the United States of America, inshallah.”

And what’s going to happen in Europe over the next 20 years that gives Galloway such confidence? Could it be the change in demographics, perhaps? Muslim birth rate in the EU is three times higher than non-Muslim. If our EU overlords get their way, by 2025 the most populous country in the Union will be Turkey, with a population of over 80 million Muslims. In September our dhimmi Foreign Secretary Jack Straw argued that failure to admit Turkey into the EU would be “too terrible to contemplate”. Terrible for those, like George Galloway, who want to see Islamic influence dominate European policy that is.

While they are all deserving, I have to say I must get i the corner of Gillian Parker. For him, as an officer of the law, to put his men and women at risk just to comply with some bullshit religious requirements is unbelieveable. If he is really asking his troops to pause when entering a potentially hostile room/apartment/flat to make sure they are complying with some militant religious sensibilities is mind boggling. Shame on him and all the others who are enabling him to perpetuate this accomodating posture.

I can't believe Ken "I Love Qaradawi" Livingstone is not on this list. This is the guy who called Qaradawi who's virulently anti-gay, anti-infidel and mysogynist and supports wife-beating as a "leading progressive Muslim" and "an absolutely sane Islamist" and compared him to Pope John XXIII.

If he is not "The Dhimmi of the Year", at least he's close enough to be "The Vice-Dhimmi of the Year".

I would have to say David Farr and Simon Reade. If muslims would be so offended by "Tamburlaine the Great", then can we change things in the Koran? Just wishful thinking, I know, but it was a nice thought while it lasted. Of course, it was a hard toss up between them and George Galloway.